Dead Endz Read online

“You can’t possibly leave with her,” snapped Dr. Hill, taking a step closer. “My God, woman! She’s survived the virus. It’s vital that we find out why. She could be our only hope for a cure.”

  “Since you’ve lied to me, I can’t possibly trust you again with my child. Come on, Allie.”

  “But…” stammered Dr. Hill.

  She glared at him as he dared to take another step. “Stop right there before you make any more bad mistakes. Don’t think for a moment that I won’t shoot you if you try and stop us from leaving.”

  He stopped and shook his head. “You’re the one making a mistake.”

  “I made a mistake before by trusting you.”

  Allie finished putting her shoes and stood up slowly.

  “Look at her…she’s weak. It’s not safe to drag her away from here,” pleaded Dr. Hill.

  “It’s not safe keeping her with you. Now enough bullshit and get on the floor!” snapped Kris.

  He got down on his knees. “I hope you’re not taking her out of the hospital. It’s suicidal.

  “All the way down on the floor,” she replied. “Forehead touching.”

  He sighed but thankfully, did what he was told.

  “I repeat…don’t try following us or I’ll shoot you.”

  “You’ll never make it out of here, anyway,” he mumbled. “There’s far too many soldiers. They just won’t allow it.”

  “Stay down,” she growled as they began to back away. Before they reached the door, it opened. Fortunately it was Carly.

  “Thank goodness, you found her. We have to leave quickly,” she whispered.

  “Here, please take this,” said Kris giving her the gun. She then grabbed Allie’s hand and squeezed it. “This is Carly, honey. She’s helping us escape.”

  Allie who looked suddenly very frail and frightened, smiled.

  “Honey, how do you feel?” Kris asked her as they followed Carly through the hospital.

  “A little dizzy,” she said softly.

  Voices from down one of the nearby hallways halted them.

  “Someone’s coming, hide in that room,” whispered Carly.

  They waited in one of the exam rooms until a couple of soldiers hurried past.

  “Those were Allie’s guards. We have to run,” said Carly.

  They rushed out of the room to a stairway which led to the main floor of the emergency entrance.

  “There’s the ambulance,” pointed Carly.

  Kris threw her the keys and they ran.

  “Stop right there!” yelled someone.

  Kris looked back and noticed a group of soldiers running towards them. She pulled Allie faster. “Come on, honey!”

  Carly made it to the ambulance first and opened the back of it. She climbed in all the way to the front.

  Breathless, Kris helped Allie climb into the back of the ambulance and slammed the door.

  “Good thing Mike’s gone. Now, let’s get the hell out of here,” yelled Carly as she started up the truck. “Hold on girls!”

  Kris touched Allie’s cheek, still overwhelmed with happiness that her daughter was alive and no longer in a coma. “Get on the floor, honey, and don’t be afraid.”

  Allie nodded and then crouched down on the floor.

  “I’ll be back,” said Kris, handing her a blanket and pillow. She then turned and made her way to the front of the ambulance.

  “Oh, shit,” mumbled Carly as several soldiers tried blocking the exit. “They’d better move, because I’m not stopping.”

  “For the love of God, get out of the way!” hollered Kris as she reached over and blasted the horn several times. When the soldiers noticed the ambulance was picking up speed, they scrambled out of the way.

  “Wow, I think we’re actually going to make it!” shouted Carly with a triumphant smile. “Brace yourself!”

  She then floored the truck and they crashed through the enormous glass garage door, hitting several zombies staggering around on the other side. The sounds of gunfire echoed behind them as they raced away.

  “Thank God,” smiled Kris. “We did it. I can’t believe it. You’re incredible!”

  Carly smiled. “I told you that I knew what I was doing.”

  She squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you again, so much.”

  “Where to now?” asked Carly.

  “I need to find the rest of my family,” said Kris. “Let’s get to the old C.D.C. building.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Where are we going?” asked Luke.

  “It’s getting dark,” he answered. “We need to find a place to crash for the night. Somewhere the zombies won’t bother us.”

  Luke snorted. “Well, Good luck with that. I slept in the air ducts at the mini mall during the night. It was the only place I felt semi-safe.”

  He had to admit that it was pretty ingenious for a young teenager. “Don’t worry kid, we’ll find something.”

  “Why don’t we just sleep in this thing?” asked Luke.

  It had been a stroke of good luck when they happened upon a 2005 Jeep Cherokee with almost a full tank of gas but he still didn’t feel it was safe enough against the zombies.

  “No. The zombies can see us pretty clearly in this thing. Plus,” he said, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, “it’s already summer and getting hot even at night. With all of the zombies moping around, we can’t even roll the windows down. I certainly don’t want to run the air conditioner all night in this thing. Waste of gas.”

  “I suppose.”

  They drove around Atlanta until Luke pointed to a small bar and casino. “What about that place?”

  He stopped next to the old dive which looked like it might have been closed down before the zombie invasion. The windows were boarded up and the door was padlocked. It wasn’t luxurious but it appeared secure enough.

  He nodded. “Okay, let’s give it a whirl.”

  They parked in the lot and hurried over to the bar where he used his ax to smash through a small basement window then they both climbed inside. Moments later, they watched as a pair of mottled bloody feet passed by the open window.

  “Almost had a situation there,” he said, referring to the zombie.

  “Good timing,” said Luke.

  “Be careful where you walk, kid.”

  The cob-webbed basement was dark and filled with cleaning supplies and boxes of booze. In the back were several wooden cabinets and a couple of metal chests.

  “Hey, I found a flashlight,” said Luke, holding it up.

  “Nice.”

  Using the flashlight they went upstairs into the casino and looked around. There were about two rows of slot machines, a few Black Jack tables, a money wheel, and a fully stocked bar.

  “If I was a drinker I’d be in heaven right now,” he said, looking through several full bottles of rum and vodka.

  Luke bent down behind the bar where he found a cooler that was now warm. “Found some bottled water and Red Bull. I love those things.”

  He turned around and stared at Luke. “Stick with the water, Red Bull is too much caffeine for a young kid like you.”

  Luke smirked. “I’m almost fifteen. I’ve had lots of energy drinks in the past and even some beer.”

  He lifted a bottle of booze. “Really? Well, shit, let’s break open this bottle of Cold Turkey, then!”

  Luke’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

  He shook his head. “Hell no. You’re definitely too young for booze. Energy drinks are one thing, this stuff…” he shuddered. “Frankly, I don’t think anyone is mature enough for this shit.”

  “Crap!” hollered Luke, jumping backwards.

  “What?”

  His face was white. “Something ran over my foot.”

  He shined the flashlight towards the floor and found a small rat. He kicked the rodent and it went flying across the floor.

  “You didn’t have to hurt it,” said Luke.

  He snorted. “They carry diseases. If that thing would have bitten you, we ca
n’t just rush to the local clinic for a rabies shot.”

  Luke looked around nervously. “I hope he was alone.”

  “Don’t sweat it. Just kick ‘em or kill ‘em they come around,” he replied.

  Luke’s stomach growled loudly in the darkness.

  “Guess you’re hungry. I noticed a kitchen in the back, let’s go and see if there’s any food packed away.”

  They found a pantry in the kitchen that was well stocked with plenty of non-perishable foods.

  He rubbed his chin. “Someone was prepared for this shit. I wonder where they are now?”

  Luke started digging through the food. “Maybe they were killed. Wow, would you look at all this stuff! Cereal, nuts, granola bars, crackers… we scored big time!”

  He smiled. “Listen, I’m going back downstairs to board up that window. Stay put and scream your lungs out if you need me.”

  Luke nodded and began stuffing his face with tortilla chips. “Holy cow…there’s a can of nacho cheese sauce.”

  His own stomach began to growl as he went back to the basement. It was lucky that they’d found all the food but something told him the owner might be back and probably wouldn’t be happy to find it raided. They’d have to stay alert most of the night.

  After searching through several drawers he found a hammer and some nails, along with several candles. Fortunately, he’d kept a couple of cigarette lighters he’d found earlier.

  “Damn rats,” he muttered, kicking another one across the room. He hoped the place wasn’t infested.

  Another zombie walked by the window and he decided it was time to board it up. Taking his ax he broke off a couple of cabinet doors and used them to cover the basement window.

  “Hey Hooters!” hollered Luke from the top of the stairs.

  Hooters?

  He walked over to the foot of the stairway and looked up. “What’s wrong, Luke?”

  He smiled sheepishly. “Nothing, I’m just starting to get the creeps all alone up here.”

  He grabbed the ax and candles then walked up the steps. “So…Hooters?”

  Luke chuckled. “I thought you needed a name, since you can’t remember your own.”

  He looked down at his t-shirt and smiled. “Yeah, but I feel so…dirty when you call me that.”

  Luke laughed. “You come up with your name and I’ll quit looking at your chest.”

  A loud crash from outside startled them both. He ran upstairs and looked through a gap in one of the boarded windows. “Shit, we have company and this time…they’re not dead,” he muttered.

  Chapter Eight

  Kristie was inconsolable when she found out that Paige had been kidnapped. Tiny held her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

  “What did the guy look? Did you see him Henry?” asked Tiny over Kristie’s head.

  Henry’s face was somber and there were tears in his eyes. “No, dear God and I’m so sorry. I’d just meant to rest my eyes, is all. I just…I fell asleep and woke up to Kylie screaming bloody murder. By the time I looked outside, they were gone.”

  Kristie released a ragged sigh and then moved away from Tiny. She grabbed Kylie’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Kylie, honey, tell us again, what exactly did you see?”

  Kylie’s face was streaked with her own tears. “Um, I saw this big man with dark hair come up behind her and grab her. I tried to warn Paige, but it happened so fast. I’m so sorry, mom!”

  Kristie wrapped her arms around Kylie and drew her in close. “It’s not your fault, baby. Just remember that. It’s…it’s my fault.”

  “Whoa…it’s not your fault, Kristie,” stated Tiny. “Don’t ever blame yourself for that.”

  “But…I shouldn’t have left my girls,” she choked, fresh tears rolling down her face. “Good, Lord…what in the hell was I thinking?”

  “No, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” said Tiny. “I should have gone by myself into that building, which, hell, ended up being a waste of time anyway.”

  It had been a waste of time. There hadn’t been anyone in the main building. When they began walking towards the smaller facility, Henry and Kylie had intercepted them with the horrific news.

  “Listen,” said Henry, raising his hands. “It’s not anyone’s fault but the bastard who took her. Now, we have to quit blaming ourselves and start looking for Paige.”

  Kristie’s eyes burned angrily. “When I find the asshole who took her, I’m going to make him wish he’d have turned into a zombie. I swear to God…there’s going to be a lot of pain involved.”

  Tiny put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll do everything in my power to help. Let’s go find your daughter, babe. You have my word that we won’t stop looking until we get her back.

  Kristie’s brushed away the last of her tears and nodded. “Thank you.”

  ***

  Paige woke up in what appeared to be some kind of large banquet room. Several tables were pushed against the wall and women of different ages were lying around on the floor, either crying or staring miserably into space.

  She blinked her eyes several times, willing it to be a dream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t even a nightmare. It was all real and she was confused as all hell.

  “You’re up,” mumbled a disheveled woman sitting on the ground nearby. “If I were you, I’d go back to sleep. You don’t want to be awake in this nightmare.”

  Paige cleared her throat. “What’s happening?”

  Footsteps echoed behind her and she turned to stare at a man dressed in gray slacks and a dark blue silk shirt. He knelt down next to her and the smell of spicy cologne engulfed her.

  “Well I see that Bright Eyes is finally awake,” he said, rubbing a finger along his goatee. “Nice of you to finally join us, beautiful.”

  Paige stood up and backed away from him. “Where am I? Where’s my mom?”

  He stood back up and took a step towards her. “Don’t worry about that right now. In fact, you’re safe with me.”

  Although he was a couple inches shorter than her, he looked dangerous, especially with the holstered gun on his side.

  “I’m not supposed to be here,” she snapped, getting angry. Who were these people?

  He ignored her comment and stared at her mouth. “So, are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink? You’re lips look dry and cracked.”

  Paige licked them and nodded. She was parched. “Um, sure, I guess.”

  He smiled. “Stay here, I’ll be right back,” he said, walking away. Her eyes followed him as he stopped next to a bar in the back of the room where another guy was sitting, watching them.

  “Don’t trust that asshole,” mumbled the woman near her. “He’ll try and put his hands on you after he gets you liquored up. He did that to Celia; practically raped her.”

  Paige’s felt nauseated. “Who are these men and why are we here?”

  “Oh…we’re here to play a game,” said the woman with a bitter smile.

  She frowned. “I don’t get it. They kidnapped us to play a game?”

  She nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

  “Serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Well what kind of game? Monopoly, Yahtzee? Don’t Spill The Beans?”

  “Nice try but it’s a game I guarantee you’ve never heard of.”

  This woman was beginning to irritate her too. “Well, will they let us go if we win?”

  “Kid, I don’t know exactly how the game is played but I can tell you this…you lose, you’ll die, and that’s for real. You win,” she shrugged. “Well… you’ll still lose.”

  Paige looked confusion. “I’m sorry…what do you mean?”

  She sighed. “We’re the pawns in a really fucked up game, honey. A game that has no winners ‘cept the men who’ve created it. The fact is that no matter what happens, you’ll never come out ahead.”

  Paige’s eyes hardened. She wasn’t about to give up. If she was forced to play a game, she’d do whatever she had to survive. “A game, huh? I guess
I’ll just have to figure out a way to win.”

  The woman lowered her voice. “Even if you could possibly win this game of theirs, honey, you’re better off dead.”

  Chapter Nine

  The sun was going down and the zombies appeared to be waking up all over town. A feeling of dread gnawed in Kris’s stomach as she watched their shadows creep by.

  “Wow, look at them all. I doubt we would have made it without this rig,” stated Carly, gripping the steering wheel. They’d had to slow down and it was nerve-wracking to see such horror up close.

  Fortunately, the ambulance appeared to be an ideal vehicle for driving right through the many zombies who stood in their way. Most of them stared stupidly at their headlights before they were pummeled while others were just plain lucky and stepped out of the path at the very last minute.

  “There it is,” said Kris, pointing to the CDC building.

  Carly nodded. “I’ve seen pictures in the past of this place. Doesn’t quite look so impressive now,” she said, pulling into the parking lot.

  “I’m going to check on Allie,” said Kris, moving towards the back of the ambulance where her daughter was curled up in a cot, sleeping. She touched her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed with relief to find it still felt cool to the touch. For days Allie had been burning up while her body struggled against the virus that had invaded her body.

  “Hi, mom,” whispered Allie, her blue eyes fluttering open. “I thought I was dreaming that you’d found me. But you really did…”

  “Yes, sweetie,” she said, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I’m really here. How are you feeling?”

  Allie sat up. “I’m okay, maybe a little hungry.”

  “We’ll scout around for some food real soon. I’m getting hungry myself.”

  “Okay. Um…where’s dad and Cassie?”

  She smiled sadly. “Tell you the truth, I’m not really sure. We’re trying to find them.”

  You know…I had these strange dreams about Cassie. She was sick but we were together and she made me feel so safe. I hope she’s safe, right now.”

  Kris blinked back tears. “Me too, honey.”